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Travel anywhere in the world, and a key concern, especially when it comes to a night out, is safety. From New York, Rio, Cape Town, or Johannesburg (just named the 7th best city for nightlife, btw), each of these cities comes alive in a distinct way across its dance floors, live music events, and venues.
And to experience it, is to know the destination a little bit more intimately.
For Capetonian creative Shakes Mbolekwana, though, the question of safety and how far the traditional duty of an event organiser goes has become an extension of the vibe his events create.
In an exclusive interview with Time Out Cape Town, he says his answer is the Safe Exit System, which his event Ses’fikile will pilot on 4 September.
The event's name translates from Zulu as "we have arrived". It's a declaration that feels celebratory, but deliberately collective.
"The name speaks to a collective effort, and that has always been its foundation," says Mbolekwana.
Saving the night out!
Ses’fikile was selected as one of the global winners of Jägermeister’s Save The Night competition, which invited individuals and collectives to propose ideas to improve the future of nightlife.
The initiative considered both safety and sustainability. Mbolekwana's concern is also rooted in lived experience. He has had a phone stolen on a night out and has seen the same thing happen to friends.
He puts the problem more playfully too, "The easiest way to ruin a great night is to lose your phone and not even be able to tell your friends how good the night was."
The Save the Night is designed to support guests during the often-overlooked final stretch of a night out. It includes clearly identified e-hailing pick-up areas, trained team members in high-visibility clothing who can chaperone patrons to their rides, additional exterior security, phone-charging facilities, wayfinding and transport guidance. Guests will also be able to get water from a designated hydration station before leaving.
"We simply want to make the journey home a safer, more comfortable part of the experience," says Mbolekwana.
The first edition will act as a pilot. Mbolekwana wants to study how the measures work in practice, identify what needs improving and then consider how far the concept could travel.
He is aware that this safety ambition already stretches well beyond the Mother City.
"It doesn’t end in Cape Town," he says. "Cape Town isn’t the only representation of South Africa, and South Africa isn’t the only representation of Africa. The key phrase here is 'safety in nightlife' and that extends far beyond the city in which I live."
The Afterparty origin story
Before Ses’fikile, Mbolekwana worked in an art gallery while DJing around the city.
Those two worlds collided when artists, curators, gallerists and art lovers began asking him the same question during the Cape Town Art Fair: "Where is everyone going afterwards, where's the afterparty?"
Mbolekwana answered by creating an unofficial so-called afterparty to keep the night moving. It was the nucleus of a bigger idea, one that went beyond the once-a-year event.
"People said, 'It doesn’t make sense for this to happen only during the Cape Town Art Fair. We want it every week or every month," he recalls.
So he developed it into a seasonal platform and officially launched Ses’fikile in 2023. And it's never just been about entertainment either. The event, he says, has grown into a series of inclusive cultural experiences that champion South African talent by bringing diverse creative communities into the same room.
Nightlife culture that feels like Cape Town
Cape Town’s international appeal can be an advantage, but he believes it can also make nights out feel diluted or copy-pasted if organisers lose sight of the communities around them.
The city’s real character, he argues, lives in its smaller cultural pockets: the venues, parties and followings that grow organically because people are invested in shaping them.
He points to Rands in Khayelitsha (also celebrating its 11th birthday this weekend) as a place that speaks confidently to Cape Town and South Africa without chasing outside approval.
"It says so much about South Africa and Cape Town while simply staying true to itself," he says. "It isn’t shouting for attention. You have to go there and experience it."
He sees the same energy in Cape Town’s independent events. These communities might not always be immediately visible to outsiders - or even to Capetonians - but their commitment to creating culture on their own terms is precisely what makes the city’s nightlife interesting.
"Knowing that these small communities exist, and that they’re committed to shaping experiences in their own way, is really special," says Mbolekwana.
What to expect from Ses’fikile on 4 September?
Safety may be a serious focus, but Mbolekwana is clear that the upcoming event will still deliver where it counts.
"It’s going to be a banger," he adds.
The line-up brings established figures together with emerging talent from Miv, Libo, Sigwabs, Mabooty, and NeoDeep.
Audiences can expect Afro-house, amapiano and gqom, with a mix Mbolekwana describes as representative of the "South African sounds defining the present moment."
Ses’fikile attracts those looking for something that feels distinctly local. It is also an event where people arrive ready to be seen, because the crowd is as important as the soundtrack, he adds.
"People really love dressing up for Ses’fikile, so wearing your best outfit is never a bad idea," Mbolekwana says. You’ll be surrounded by people who enjoy looking good when they go out."
His final promise is a simple one: strong music, a welcoming crowd and "a damn good time", followed crucially, by a safer journey home.
Sounds like a party you don't want to miss!
Ses’fikile x Save The Night: What you need to know
- Date: Friday 4 September 2026
- Venue: Botanik Social House, 54 Queen Victoria Street, Cape Town
- Safety Night Out features: E-hailing guidance, trained chaperones, additional exterior security, phone charging, hydration and clearly identified pick-up areas.
- Tickets: Book through FIXR
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